News. . . .
August 17th, 2010
Cllr Haydn Jones dies
A public memorial service will be held this Saturday August 21st at Graig Chapel Water St. 2.00pm.
Cllr Haydn Jones died suddenly last week aged 72.
Cllr Jones was the member for Cenarth ward, which includes Newcastle Emlyn since 2004. He was respected and liked by all who knew him.
He was executive board member for technical services, and his portfolio included waste management and transport.
Carmarthenshire County Council Chief Executive Mark James said:
“Haydn was a very well respected, hard working county councillor, who was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was committed to his job, to his community, to his family, friends and colleagues.
“One of life’s true gentlemen, Haydn will be sorely missed, not only for his valuable contribution to the work of the county council, but for his good nature, his warmth, and the friendship and courtesy he showed to all.”
Cllr Jones was married to Mair for over 40 years, and had two children Aled and Gaynor, and six grandchildren.
His working life was mainly in agriculture, and he was a farmer from 1969 until 2003.
Cllr Jones was a member of many farming organisations in Wales, chaired a number of committees and was widely known for his work with the Royal Welsh Show.
In 1993, he was awarded an MBE for services to agriculture in Wales, in 1997 he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Dyfed in 2003.
Haydn Jones was an enthusiastic supporter of the Dragon Festivals held in Newcastle Emlyn and never missed an opportunity to dress for the part! Here he is in 2007
Haydn Jones was to me both a friend and colleague, an inspiration and a salutory example. He encouraged me to get off my backside (not his expression!) and do something about local issues that bugged me by joining NCE Town Council. His wisdom and wit helped me through the inevitable frustrations that occur in local politics and was generous in his support of my early efforts to get things done.
Following his elevation to the County Council Cabinet we saw less of him and began to appreciate the enormity of the brief he had, how hard he worked and the hundreds of miles he travelled to endless meetings far from his own constituency. I hope that people will remember that there is never just ‘one issue’, and that he worked tirelessly on every problem in the town. Some may not know that he was also a hugely valued member of the Board of Governors of Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn constantly maintaining a high profile for the school at the County Education Dept. His loss will be felt deeply by those who knew his enormous commitment to this community.
At an age when most people would have hung up their boots, Haydn Jones offered himself for public service and took on the task of County Councillor with modest intensity. He will remain a shining example of the adage that “The world is run by those who turn up”. Haydn turned up again and again for the many people in his ward who needed help, advice and action. He will remain a shining example for those who follow. Thank you Haydn.
Jeremy Clulow
Dear Haydn was a wise, kind and supportive father figure to Heart of the Dragon.
He offered interest and enthusiasm from the very first meetings, when it was but an idea to have a dragon festival for the town. During the early challenges and hostilities from town politics, Haydn always offered a shoulder to cry on, listened with wisdom and warm wit and was a bridge between young and old, Welsh and English, and tradition and innovation.
He personally translated all of the script and speeches into Welsh and was the noblest Welsh Guardian/King of the Castle from ten am till eleven pm, walking around town in costume to include local shopkeepers.
At the second festival, so in character and into the spirit of the story was he,that he came off script completely to spontaneously draw his sword at the arrival of the dragons egg in a coracle…declared a bilingual ‘God bless this egg, and the future life of this dragon!’ In that moment he wonderfully became a healer of historic religious oppressions and created a mythological first!
It is still shocking and so very,very sad that his smiling face will not be at the next town event or meeting. I will miss you dearly Haydn.
Love Pamela Gaunt and all from Heart of the Dragon
Louis says: I knew Haydn from farming days, he will be missed by everyone who knew him.
Paddy says: I feel the loss of Haydn personally, although we weren’t personal friends. But he was always there at community events – did he say ‘the world is run by those who turn up’? he was certainly a shining example of those who do.
I only met Mrs Mair Jones once, when she came with Haydn to the launch party for Raggamuffins, the smoothie bar and drop-in centre for kids in Newcasltle Emlyn. But I understood then the strength of Mr and Mrs Jones as a team.
I’m so sorry Mair, and Haydn, we really will miss you. Thank you for all you did for us, for always turning up.
Like many others I will sorely miss Hadyn in and around Newcastle Emlyn. I do not live in Emlyn, but am a founder member of Heart of The Dragon, which he supported whole heartedly.
I was always cheered by his friendly hello and smile whenever I met him and his amazing ability to bring people together – he was the glue between us all and I truly hope that we can still continue to work together as he would have wished.
My condolence and best wishes go to his family at this time of loss.
Annette